Satellite imagery of this area is quite difficult to obtain due to cloud cover, but the first images have now been captured by Planet Labs. This covers only a small part of the earthquake affected area, and there is a considerable volume of cloud. But the picture that is emerging is deeply alarming, with huge numbers of landslides, many of which look to be potentially valley blocking. This is the area just to the east of Komo Station:-

Planet Labs image of the a part of the area affected by the earthquake in Papua New Guinea.

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Note the large flow-type landslide in the south of the image, and the multiple rockslides elsewhere. Some of these slides appear to be very complex.

This is an exceptionally dangerous situation that needs urgent attention. Papua New Guinea has high rainfall, so quake lakes may develop quickly. Overtopping is extremely hazardous, especially when there are multiple landslide dams. There is an urgent need to evaluate the number and scale of the landslide dams, and the likely assets downstream that could be affected.

The last event on this scale was the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In that case over 200 landslide dams needed attention; a feat that stretched even the mighty resources of the Chinese military. The capacity to deal with this in Papua New Guinea is much lower. This feels like a potential crisis to me.

Reference

Planet Team (2017). Planet Application Program Interface: In Space for Life on Earth. San Francisco, CA. https://api.planet.com

Comments

3 Comments

“… Former PNG basketball representative player Colin Pine speaking from Kutubu said Mt Bosavi is showing signs of the volcano and the entire villages along the mountain are in fear it can blow anytime.

“Mt Bosavi is showing signs of a volcano and as we speak we are seeing smoke building up at the top of the mountain. We had never seen Mt Bosavi as a volcanic mountain but now it’s showing signs,” Pine said. …”https://postcourier.com.pg/smoke-filing-mt-bosavi/

“… A GOVERNMENT seismologist has dispelled speculation that the extinct Mt Bosavi volcano in Southern Highlands will erupt.
The Rabaul Volcanological Observatory principal geodetic surveyor Steve Saunders in an email yesterday said: “Satellite images show no unusual happenings at any old Highlands volcanoes.
“The 7.5 earthquake was tectonic in origin (too big to be volcanic).
“The aftershocks are the result of adjustments of strain within the region due to the initial large one on Saturday.
“It is very unlikely a tectonic earthquake will trigger a long dormant volcano immediately.”
Meanwhile, the Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory branch of the Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazards Management is monitoring the earthquake.
It warned people that the aftershocks of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake would continue for the next few weeks. …”

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Dave Petley is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. His blog provides a commentary on landslide events occurring worldwide, including the landslides themselves, latest research, and conferences and meetings.

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